Together We Vote CampaignGet Out the Vote Highlights:

This year, NAKASEC, KRC, and KRCC undertook unprecedented efforts to register, educate, and mobilize Korean American voters to the polls. Nationally, NAKASEC distributed 46,000 bilingual “Together We Vote: A Guide to Civic Participation” to 11 states through direct mail and in partnership with churches and community based organizations in CA, IL, MD, and critical states like VA, FL, OH, and TX. Focusing on the key issues impacting Korean American families – including humane immigration reform, stopping devastating budget cuts, and building strong neighborhoods – and how to vote, these voters were given the tools to raise their voice on November 6.

ILLINOIS

KRCC registered record number of KA voters including 472 new young voters through their College Voter Registration Challenge; turned out more than 800 voters for Early Voting event.

First Time Voters Learn the Voting Process

On October 18, KRCC conducted a Voter Education workshop to 70 participants with invited candidates to interact with the Korean American community. KRCC provided a voting machine demonstration by a Cook County Board of Election officer for first time voters and helped build energy for the upcoming KRCC Early Voting Day.

KRCC & KAVoice Mobilize 800 to Early Voting Day

On October 22, KRCC and KA VOICE coordinated a very successful Early Voting Day event at the Glenview Village Hall in Cook County Suburbs, turning out 800 Korean voters for the event. Cook County is an area with a growing Korean and Asian American population which now stands at nearly 363,000. KRCC helped start KA Voice in 2011 with only 5 members, which has grown to 500 members in the past few months, a credit to KRCC’s efforts to increase leadership and civic participation in the area Korean community. With lines stretching out the door, KRCC also provided in-language assistance to 400 participants. In order to reach out to KA voters, U.S. House Representative candidates from the 9th and 10th District as well as State Senate and Representative candidates attended the event. For local coverage about the event: Korean-Americans Exercised Their Early Vote on Saturday at Glenview Village Hall

CALIFORNIA

KRC’s efforts reached half of all registered KA voters in LA & OC; pivotal to KA turnout to pass Proposition 30- encouraging community members to support this proposal that could fund the public education system and critical senior services.

Canvassing 48,500 KA Voters in LA and OC for Prop 30

KRC and over 100 volunteers canvassed 700 voters at their home in Fullerton and Anaheim on October 13. These were part of KRC’s Campaign Fellows program and their volunteers efforts to mobilize Korean American voters to say Yes to Prop 30 and No to Prop 32. In total, KRC’s Campaign Fellows and volunteers made over 48,500 calls to Korean registered voters and door knocked on 3,200 doors. KRC also robocalled over 93,500 registered KA voters and mailed voter education material about critical ballot Proposals to 50,500 voters. This was a record number of KA Voters ever mobilized by KRC for an election year.

KRC Wins $10,000 for “Turn on the Turnout” Contest

On October 22, KRC was announced the winner of Liberty Hill’s “Turn on the Turnout” competition and received a $10,000 grant. Liberty Hill, in partnership with the Goldhirsh Foundation, challenged Los Angeles’s nonprofit community to propose how they would reach unlikely voters, register them and turn them out to the polls. By October 15 deadline, KRC garnered 1,100 votes for their “My Parents Vote for Our Future” project, empowering Los Angeles Korean American youth to engage their parents in civic participation. For more information about the contest: Turn On the Turnout!

Korean American Seniors and Youth Take it to the Streets: YES to Public Education, Prop 30

On October 26, KRC’s Seniors rallied behind Prop 30. Five media outlets covered this event with 40 Seniors participating. To rev people up, one participant danced and chanted in a colorful and patriotic outfit.

On November 2, KRC rallied with their youth at Wilshire -Western Metro Plaza in Los Angeles. Over 30 youths participated in this rally highlighting the other aspect of Prop 30, a tax on higher income earners to fund California’s K-12 and college public school systems. The event energized supporters to vote for the proposition on Election Day.

Youth Rally for Prop 30

VIRGINIA & MARYLAND

NAKASEC broke new ground by mobilizing the growing KA community in Virginia and Maryland this year.

Voter Registration, Education, and Outreach to VA and MD Voters

Voter Registration in VA

On October 14th, NAKASEC staff and volunteers registered voters at Korean Central Presbyterian Church in Fairfax County Virginia, one of the largest churches in the area. On that day alone, NAKASEC registered 41 voters two days before the registration deadline. In addition, NAKASEC distributed 10,000 Together We Vote guide books through mail and direct outreach in the DC/VA/MD area.

In order to turn out low propensity KA Voters in Virginia, NAKASEC also robo-called 7,000 voters in Virginia and phone banked 1,700.

As part of our outreach efforts, NAKASEC also published two GOTV Ads for the 2012 elections in the Korea Times to target the Korean community in the DMV area.

With the elections close at hand, NAKASEC led a flurry of activities to educate voters including hosting a voting demon-stration at the Fairfax County Board of Elections site which was broadcast in language through WKTV Cable News, and conducted a voter education presentation with 200 Korean Americans at the Messiah Presbyterian Church of Washington’s in VA .

On Election Day, we monitored the polls in Centreville, VA- a precinct with a significant KA population and conducted a survey of Asian American Voters for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and served to protect the rights of Asian voters.

Maryland Dream Act

Building on our work during Social Justice Camp, NAKASEC mailed 3,000 voter guides to MD voters encouraging them vote for Question 4- otherwise known as the Maryland Dream Act. One of the Social Justice Camp alum, Sally Kim placed an op-ed in the Korea Times DC/MD/VA edition urging Korean Americans to vote for the future of undocumented students. Three days before Election Day, we talked with voters and passed out literature at H-mart in Gaithersburg, a major hub to Asian Americans to build up support for Question 4 on the MD ballot. The Maryland Dream Act passed with 58% of the vote, becoming the 12th state to grant in-state tuition for students, regardless of immigration status.

KRCC 17th Anniversary Benefit Dinner: We Walk One Path United

On October 12th, KRCC hosted its 17th Anniversary dinner at the Morton Grove Civic Center. Over 100 people attended the event, to celebrate 17 years of service and accomplishments in the Chicago area. They also honored their Standing Up for Justice Awardees: Tereza Lee, the courageous young woman who inspired the DREAM Act; KA VOICE, community leaders mobilizing the community for increased civic participation and more representation in public office; and Hasang Pungmul School, which helps maintain pride in Korean culture by teaching traditional PoongMul.

In addition, KRCC presented Dream in Action Awards to Ashley Murtas and Jessica Uruchima. The highlight of the night was an outstanding performance by Tereza Lee, who is also an accomplished pianist studying at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in NYC.